1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a force-feedback plane slide input device, and more particularly relates to a force-feedback plane slide input device which can be manufactured at lower costs.
2. Description of the Related Art
A driver of a vehicle may manually operate an operation knob of an in-vehicle controller while driving, to perform function adjustment or the like of a car air-conditioner, car audio, car navigation device, or the like. Nowadays, there are cases where a force-feedback plane slide input device is employed as an input device configured to perform such operations. The force-feedback plane slide input device may be configured to allow a driver to have a good feel of operation by feeding back external force (sense of force) such as resistance, thrust, or the like according to the amount or direction of operation of the operation knob, thereby causing the driver to surely perform a desired operation. Such a force-feedback plane slide input device is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-79620.
Hereinafter, description will be made regarding the force-feedback plane slide input device according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-79620, with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B. FIGS. 12A and 12B are schematic views illustrating a portion of the force-feedback plane slide input device according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-79620. FIG. 12A is a schematic plan view illustrating a portion of the force-feedback plane slide input device, and FIG. 12B is a schematic side view illustrating a portion of the force-feedback plane slide input device as viewed from the direction of Y2 in FIG. 12A. Note that, in order to simplify description, the layout of components in FIGS. 12A and 12B differs from the layout of actual components. Also, in order to simplify description, FIG. 12B illustrates only an actuating body 914 and a slider 903.
The force-feedback plane slide input device 900 according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-79620 includes, as illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the slider 903 configured to be operable by an operator via the operation knob. The operation knob is disposed such that the slider 903 can be slid over a plane including an X axis and a Y axis which are orthogonal to each other, that is to say in X-axis and Y-axis directions, in accordance with operations of the operator. Further, the force-feedback plane slide input device 900 includes the actuating body 914 further including an engagement pin 914a, an actuating body 915 further including an engagement pin 915a, and an actuating body 916 further including an engagement pin 916a. Each of the engagement pins 914a, 915a, and 916a is engaged with the slider 903. The actuating bodies 914, 915, and 916 are configured to turn in accordance with movement of the slider 903. Note that each of the actuating bodies 914, 915, and 916 includes another part having gear teeth formed at the side face. The actuating bodies 914, 915, and 916 are formed by disposing the respective parts in an overlaid manner. Further, the actuating bodies 914 and 915 turn in accordance with movement of the slider 903 in the X-axis direction, and the actuating body 916 turns in accordance with movement of the slider 903 in the Y-axis direction. In addition, the actuating bodies 914, 915, and 916 have a function of preventing the slider 903 from being rotated at the time of operating, by being engaged with the slider 903 at the three locations of the engagement pins 914a, 915a, and 916a. 